Hello Dahl-ing!

With the chill factor settling in (so long summer, you were wonderful) it's time to resist the winter freak out and focus on the positive, there is only one, and it's eating. Winter means food. Slow cooked, hearty, flavoursome food and we look to none other than Lunch Lady's Kate Berry when we want to talk food!

To celebrate the launch of Lunch Lady Issue 3, we asked Kate to share one of her favourite recipes from the edition, and Dahl-ings, it's fantastics. Presenting Kate Berry's Hello Dahling!

Hello Dahl-ing!

WHAT YOU NEED

For the dhal:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, sliced into thin half moons

pinch of salt

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp mustard seeds

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 fresh green chilli, finely diced

375g / 13oz red lentils

thumb-size piece of fresh ginger, finely grated

pinch of salt

To serve:

handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

1 tomato, finely diced

cooked rice

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

In a large heavy-based saucepan, add the oil and sliced onions with a pinch of salt. Saute over a low heat until transparent.

Add the spices and garlic, and stir into the onion mixture for 1–2 minutes.

Pop in the red lentils and enough water to cover them by about 5cm / 2″.

Stir, and turn the heat up to high. Once water comes to the boil, reduce heat to low and stir occasionally for about 30 minutes, or until lentils are soft. It should be a porridge-like consistency—add more water if necessary. If it’s too thin, keep on the heat and reduce down.